Seeing The Light At St. Jerome's School

The tower garden growing lettuce at St. Jerome’s School. Photo Caylie Gnyra

Driving by St. Jerome’s school’s front doors after dark, you’d be forgiven if you thought you were seeing heavenly visions illuminating the front reception area. On closer inspection, though, you’d see the bright light shining through the darkness was a little bit closer to heaven on earth: a tower garden, complete with dazzling white lights that keep fruits, vegetables, herbs, and flowers growing year-round.

The tower garden isn’t new to St. Jerome’s—they’ve had it for about five years—but it is an understated feature that deserves some public attention.

Teaching assistant Amy Jackson has taken this project under her wing, tending to the vertical garden and ensuring it remains not only a source of nutrition for staff and students but also an educational tool as well as an aesthetic delight.

The school is currently growing a variety of lettuce, but in the past has grown strawberries, flowers, and small vegetables. Secretary Tina Zayac, who shares space with the tower in the front office, testifies that the light from the tower provides her with Vitamin D during the winter, and that the trickling water is soothing for her spirit.

The 360-degree vertical garden is incorporated into science classes from grade two all the way up to high school. Younger students plant seeds while older students are involved in harvesting and understanding the watering cycle. Kids come into the office all the time and ask about what is growing, and they’re even permitted to take some produce home with them or incorporate it into their lunches. The lunchroom also works the produce into its offerings, and the staff are invited to take some home with them.

Although its initial home was in St. Jerome’s library, the tower was moved to the front office because of its large windows and to enable more visibility. The tower has become somewhat of a conversation piece, with visitors for sporting events frequently commenting on it.

Jackson admits that the produce does tend to wilt quickly if the power source is interrupted or a long break (such as Christmas holidays) disrupts its care, but that the entire school is invested in the plants’ well-being and that the plants recover quickly once the water and light sources are re-established.

Some plants grow more successfully than others, but all provide an opportunity for learning. One of the more popular grows involved strawberry plants, which Jackson harvested and froze each day and shared amongst students in a strawberry-and-ice-cream party.

The aeroponic system uses water and liquid nutrients instead of dirt, and is said to use 98 per cent less water than conventional growing and produces plants that are more nutrient dense.

The company that supplied the tower garden also supplies educational tools and lesson plans that teachers can use in their classrooms. To learn more about tower gardens, visit https://www.towergarden.com/ca/en/meet-tower-garden